Domestic abuse solicitors 

A non-molestation order is a court injunction designed to protect individuals and their children from abuse, harassment, or controlling behaviour. It prohibits the perpetrator from engaging in behaviours such as:

- Physical violence: Hitting, pushing, or shoving.
- Threatening behaviour: Verbal threats, stalking, or intimidation.
- Harassment: Unwanted contact or interference.
- Controlling behaviour: Restricting finances, monitoring communication, or other coercive actions.
- Psychological or emotional abuse: Humiliation, insults, or any actions that seriously impact mental health.

The court can grant an order if you or your child are victims of, or at risk of, any of the above behaviours. Unlike criminal proceedings, the burden of proof in a family court is based on the balance of probabilities, which is lower than the standard required in a criminal court.

In situations where your safety at home is at risk, we can also help you apply for an occupation order. This type of order can:

- Exclude the perpetrator from your home or specific parts of it.
- Prevent the perpetrator from returning to or entering the property.
- Regulate how the property is used to ensure your safety.

The types of molestation we mention here can be seen in many different situations, including:

Domestic violence - if you are experiencing physical or emotional abuse from a current or former partner
Stalking - if someone is persistently harassing or following you. A non-molestation order can prevent them from contacting you or coming near your home or workplace.
Controlling behaviour by a partner or ex-partner - if a partner is trying to control your finances, communication or overall daily life with threats or intimidation, a non-molestation order can help protect you by establishing boundaries
Protecting children - a non-molestation order can be used to protect your child from exposure to domestic violence or from being used to control the other parent

Do not suffer in silence if you and / or your child are at risk of harm. Call the police. This should be your first act. We then advise you to talk to a lawyer who specialises in non-molestation orders. Our team are specialists in supporting people needing non-molestation orders, so do not delay and get in touch as soon as possible. We are here to help.

At Belderbos Solicitors, we often support people who believe that they or their children are at risk and need an urgent intervention from the courts. Sometimes, situations cannot wait for the usual court process to work through and there is an argument for an application for a court order to be made quickly. Our experienced team of child and family lawyers can help you in your hour of need.

Waiting two or three weeks for a mediation meeting just isn’t an option in some situations. You do not have to attend a MIAM if your case is an urgent one, but you must be able to show one of the following.

There is a risk to:

- your life, freedom or physical safety
- the life, freedom or physical safety of a member of your family or your home

Or any delay caused by going to a MIAM would mean:
- there is a risk to your life, freedom or physical safety or your family or home
- a risk of harm to a child
- a risk that a child would be unlawfully taken from the UK, or a risk that a child who is currently outside England and Wales will be unlawfully held
- a significant risk that there will be a miscarriage of justice
- you would suffer significant financial hardship
- irretrievable problems in dealing with the dispute – including the irretrievable loss of significant evidence
- that in the period needed to arrange and go to a MIAM, proceedings relating to the dispute will be brought in another country (or state), and a court in that other country would be able to hear the dispute and make decisions before a court in England and Wales could

Telling your ex-partner of your intentions may be the very last thing you want to do. Emergency applications are typically made in tense and highly emotional situations. Nevertheless, when you want an order urgently you should tell the other parent or person with whom the dispute has arisen (the respondent) that you’re making an application.

You can do this informally by:

- writing to them
- phoning them
- texting them
- emailing them

Only in exceptional cases will the court hear an urgent application without notice being given to the other person. Without notice means not telling them. Hearings without notice will generally only be held if you can show that giving notice to the other person would:

- enable them to pre-empt by taking steps that would defeat the purpose of your application
- mean you or the child (or children) would be at risk of harm
- mean there is some other exceptional urgency and so no time for you to give notice

It is almost always possible to give at least informal notice in one of the ways mentioned.

We assist individuals in obtaining injunctions, including non-molestation orders, to protect against domestic abuse, harassment, and controlling behaviour, ensuring safety and peace of mind.

We provide expert support for emergency applications, helping individuals secure urgent legal protections such as non-molestation and occupation orders to ensure safety from domestic abuse and harassment.